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Is there any way to get airflow numbers on the MIU ECU? I couldn't find any online. Looking at pictures of the MIU throttle body, the air inlet diameter isn't that big. There would be no point in doing a Quattro Valvole conversion on the later model bikes, if the airflow is limited by the throttle body built into the ECU.
Gotta get some numbers on paper.

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I would have thought that the camshafts and valves on this engine would be much more the restriction then the throttle body diameter.

These two sites I found the other day look very promising, surprisingly hard to find cams for a v7 perhaps?

While the topic has shifted slightly, Todd can I ask with your tune on the V7 how confident are you it will be suitable for Aus based fuels? The only reason I ask is I hear there is a bit of a difference. In Aus we can leave a car (including a carb engine) with fuel for months and it wont "gum up", but I hear it can be an issue in the States. Fuel in AU from the pump is typically 91, 95 and 98 RON, but I hear those ratings do not equate to US standards. Assuming a tune is trying to reach the AFR's you set, as long as the fuel is able to keep up with the engine compression and not detonate/ping then it wouldn't be an issue? Is that logical thinking or am I off?

Had not considered that. Good point. Megacyles makes a V7 cam as well.
When do you get your bike?

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I am told it should be prepped and ready by the end of this week or very early the week after. I have bought it from the same dealer (Thunderbikes) who prepped the Guzzi's for the Perth photo shoot with Ewan McGregor for the 2013 California 1400 .

I am told it should be prepped and ready by the end of this week or very early the week after. I have bought it from the same dealer (Thunderbikes) who prepped the Guzzi's for the Perth photo shoot with Ewan McGregor for the 2013 California 1400 .

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Good deal! That's coming up pretty quick. Looking forward to a ride report, first impressions. A warning..these bikes get in your blood. They are easy to become passionate about.
Cheers!

I disagree. I like the V7 because it is small and light weight. Traction control is useful in many riding conditions, sand on the roadway, dirt roads, wet roads etc.

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Also because it costs nothing. The potential for traction control was built into the MIU G3 engine controller from the beginning, and all that was needed to implement it was a rotation rate signal from each wheel, provided by the ABS sensors.

Fair point, but Triumph manage to get a lot more power out of their 'small lightweight' (Thruxton) than Guzzi can dream of with the V7 motor. There must be an answer !

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It's the heron cylinder head configuration, and again a combination of needing bigger valves and needing a higher lift/longer duration camshaft. All engines are just an air pump, so it's pretty straight forward to figure out the weak points. There's another post in the custom section with a V7 running 4v heads, the difference looks amazing. If i went down the power route i'd be thinking camshafts and slip-on's for the cheapest gains, excluding tuning costs and mods for the EFI to handle it.

Also i didn't have my "big bike" license until today. I didn't mention it until now for obvious reasons In Australia you have to pass a road test on any bike under a 660cc and power limited, and ride that for a year. You then have to do the same test again on a bike bigger than 660cc for the same road test, but its more strict and they pick things much easier.

Fair point, but Triumph manage to get a lot more power out of their 'small lightweight' (Thruxton) than Guzzi can dream of with the V7 motor. There must be an answer !

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Yeah, those parallel twins run pretty good, up to a point. Back in 1981 Guzzi was planning a hopped up version of the V75, a four valve Targa. It was making 80 HP at the crank. They gave up on the four valve stuff though, due to poor reliability.
I think that 80 HP is still a very realistic goal. And the bike is still nimble, handles well, gets good mileage...
I have ridden a Thruxton, for a weekend in Memphis. It was fast but handled kind of sloppy. I remember it rattling a lot too. The guy I swapped bikes with made several comments about how smooth my Guzzi was...FWIW. I couldnt even come close to following him in the Shelby forest either. Even with the stock suspension, the Guzzi cornered a lot better. If I was going to have another favorite bike though, it would be a pre-unit Triumph, or a Norton Commando 750.

It's the heron cylinder head configuration, and again a combination of needing bigger valves and needing a higher lift/longer duration camshaft. All engines are just an air pump, so it's pretty straight forward to figure out the weak points. There's another post in the custom section with a V7 running 4v heads, the difference looks amazing. If i went down the power route i'd be thinking camshafts and slip-on's for the cheapest gains, excluding tuning costs and mods for the EFI to handle it.

Also i didn't have my "big bike" license until today. I didn't mention it until now for obvious reasons In Australia you have to pass a road test on any bike under a 660cc and power limited, and ride that for a year. You then have to do the same test again on a bike bigger than 660cc for the same road test, but its more strict and they pick things much easier.

The video's are a tiny bit bumpy and have a fair bit of wind noise, i need to get myself a camera for the helmet.

Onto the bike itself

I arrived at the dealership this morning to find my new bike front row center as i walk in the door, waiting for me with a full tank of petrol. The excitement and nervous feeling i had was similar to those leading up to my big bike license, not knowing what to expect. And to be honest i have only ridden three bikes ever, and i didn't much care for the Honda NC700X i learned on.

After we had finished having a chat with the manager of the dealership he wheeled it out the front for me, and fired it up. I must admit i'm not used to trying to balance my sunglasses and gloves on a v-twin seat. I had already planned to go for a coast run on the bike the day before, just to let the tyres settle in. Not really a huge issue as today was 32c/88f outside, but i dont want to end up like this guy either.

My first impressions on the bike and its features were that the clutch lever was nice, not too hard and a bit easier than the previous model i squeezed at the dealer. The clutch picked up nice and early in the lever release which is just the way i like it, i don't like to half let the lever out before things start happening as it makes life harder than it needs to be if you're doing u-turns etc (left side of the road for Aus). I cant compare against the older 5 speed either, but the gear change is short and smooth as can be. There is none of this LONG travel i was hearing around in reviews of the previous model, but again i haven't ridden one of them. When at the lights doing the occasional neutral waiting with a foot on the rear brake, i occasionally noticed feedback when going into first again but that could just be because i need more time and so does the transmission. It was nothing more then as if someone had given you a soft poke with a finger. Again i partly blame any of that on me being new to the bike, and the gearbox being brand new as it barely ever happened. The six speed itself i didn't notice any real gaps in the range between the gears, it just felt slick and smooth as a luxury car with again the short shift of the foot to change between them. I love the mechanical noise of the diff and shaft, much better than the sound a chain can make. As shaft is new to me you do notice a slight lift from the back if you don't let the gear engage upon release of the clutch but thats not the bikes fault and i was soon all over it.

The throttle itself seems very responsive with a nice easy engagement in the low range of movement as you get on it. No jerkiness or other issues to report on that. The seating position is more forward than the KLX250S but i found myself settling into a comfort slump, just had to straighten up a touch and keep remembering it like any other day sitting down. The controls are normal attire to me, only the button to flash your high beam quickly and holding down the starter to turn off traction control are new to me. I'm not used to normal dials, i've been using digital until now so ill have to get used to that. The brakes are new so its not really fair to report on them yet, other than to say they were doing the job i expect (report back on that later if i remember). The turning itself once i got used to it is great, again so far ahead of a NC700X im glad. I guess its just more of a sport bike thing? to lean itself into a corner, but the NC700X would pull itself into a corner, coming from the KLX (140kg) i wasn't used to that and having to push against it. There is none of that on the V7 but i'm far from done getting used to the steering of a new bike, i've been riding the KLX for near on 4 years. Once my confidence on the new bike and "big bike" class has some time to mature, im sure the V7 is going to steer and handle fantastically in my amature hands.

Onto the motor, my first "big bike" and small block! I wasn't sure what to expect from the engine itself and sitting/idling at lights and such, and was dreading on buying a HD equivalent bike (i dont need an Parkinson's simulator, sorry for those if offence is taken). Engine movement on the bike is very minimal in terms of shaking, only a stab of the throttle will get the bike to shift as the bike comes to life while at idle. While riding about i didn't notice the tug from the motor to the right, perhaps slightly on a corner or two i did. I cant report on the headlight itself yes, as i haven't ridden it at night yet. I also haven't tested the ABS, didn't really feel like that on the maiden voyage if you know what i mean. One thing i know, i want to get myself a set of Agostini pipes shortly... i need to let that sound OUT! The suspension felt fine to me, as well as the seat. I got a bit uncomfortable at the end of my ride but i always have, perhaps an air hawk if i do a really long ride is a good idea in general. I think for those that say the engine isn't powerful enough, you weren't looking at the right bike to begin with. I heard others say it and i partly understood it then, and completely understand the statement now. It's got enough for me thats for sure, i dont need a rocket ship. The suspension rides fine, nothing uncomfortable for me but time will tell. I might grab a pic of the rear shock tonight as its possible they changed the model.

I'll put some more feedback into this post when i get time tonight, gotta go walk my Staffy 'Lexi'.

I know its a bit all over the place, but its coming to me as above when thinking about the bike.

Agostini said the following in regard to their 2-2 exhaust: "Hi Chris, thanks for your request. If you mean the racing exhaust system, it will be released in approximatively one or two week. For the silencers there are no differences between the new V7II and the old ones, so they all will fit on your new bike."

That's some good news, still not sure if i want to move to 2-1 or keep the 2-2. Either way i like my exhaust to sit at a similar level and length to the stock one on the stone, not cut short or angle up more.

Without me looking can anyone tell me what difference an after market crossover makes? The 2015 at least has no sensor plug in it at all, but im not so thrilled about yanking it out to tell what's inside it and if its even worth changing out for the Agostini model.